Canton Fire Officials Urge Residents to Call 9-1-1 for All Emergencies

CANTON, CT — Fire officials in Canton are urging residents to call 9-1-1 — not local firehouses — during emergencies, warning that recent direct calls have created potentially dangerous delays.

In a public notice, the Town of Canton Fire & EMS Department said earlier this month it has received emergency calls directly to fire stations and the chief’s office over the past year, including four such calls in a week.

Officials said firehouses are not always staffed because crews may already be out on calls.

When residents dial a station instead of 9-1-1, the call may go unanswered or delay dispatching help.

“In an emergency, every second counts,” the department said.

The notice outlined the risks of waiting: fires can double in size every 30 seconds, severe bleeding can become fatal in under five minutes, and a person who is not breathing can suffer irreversible brain damage or death within minutes.

Officials also addressed common requests they say they receive from callers, including asking to send “just one person to check it out,” requesting no lights or sirens, or saying they “didn’t want to bother 9-1-1.”

Fire officials said response protocols — including staffing, equipment, and urgency — are determined by policy and safety standards, not by caller preference.

“You may not think it’s an emergency — leave that decision to the professionals,” the department said.

Officials emphasized that calling a firehouse instead of 9-1-1 does not change how crews respond, but it can delay their arrival.

They warned that such delays could mean the difference between rescue and tragedy.